Whether we're talking desktops or laptops, if there's one thing you can almost guarantee from a Zoostorm product, it's that you're going to get speed. Oodles and oodles of it.

The Zoostorm 4-6634 is a gobsmacking 33 points faster than the £899 Samsung Q35 (reviewed here). This is a quite remarkable achievement and sets a lethal benchmark for other laptop manfacturers.

The Zoostorm 4-6634 makes history thanks to a shimmering array of components. The 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo T7700 processor is almost as good as it gets in the portable division.

But the Zoostorm 4-6634's extra magic ingredient is 4GB of DDR RAM. Liberally mixed with a whopping 250GB hard drive (again, at least 90GB higher than those offered by lesser laptops), this makes for a heady brew indeed.

But it's not just raw speed that distinguishes this sizzling laptop. The 15.4in flat-panel is the perfect compromise, giving the Zoostorm 4-6634 a wealth of viewing space, but without pushing its weight and dimensions over the limit – at 2.9kg the Zoostorm is no ultraportable, but neither is it an excessive load to carry.

The Zoostorm 4-6634's screen is easy on the eye too, with very decent colours and crisp attention to detail. The GeForce Go 8600M GS is one of the best graphics solutions available for portables, and the Zoostorm 4-6634 ripped through our games tests.

Even the highest-performing laptop can be brought crashing down to earth by a poor keyboard, but the Zoostorm 4-6634 quickly quells any fears here. It might not be in the same class as the Thinkpads, but the keys still have a satisfying feel and click that should have touch-typers fondly punching away.

The DVD writer isn't the best we've seen, but the Zoostorm 4-6634's 2.4x DVD+R DL and the total lack of DVD-R DL support are really the only marks against an otherwise very proficient drive.

There is one potential fly in the ointment though, as all of the Zoostorm 4-6634's power is something of a drain on the batteries. Indeed, with no mains power our test model ran only for an hour and seven minutes. As a desktop replacement, this won't be a problem, but if you're looking to take your laptop on the road then the Zoostorm 4-6634 will prove an inconvenient choice.

Zoostorm 4-6634: Specs

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700

Windows Vista Ultimate

4 GB DDR RAM

250GB

15.4in

1,280 x 800 display

nVidia GeForce 8600M GS

8x/8x/8x/2.4x/4x/4x/3x (DVD-ROM/-R/+R/+R DL/-RW/+RW/-RAM) drive

24x/24x/16x (CD-ROM/-R/-RW) drive

802.11b/g

1-year return-to-base warranty

359x255x36mm

2.9kg

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700

Windows Vista Ultimate

4 GB DDR RAM

250GB

15.4in

1,280 x 800 display

nVidia GeForce 8600M GS

8x/8x/8x/2.4x/4x/4x/3x (DVD-ROM/-R/+R/+R DL/-RW/+RW/-RAM) drive

24x/24x/16x (CD-ROM/-R/-RW) drive

802.11b/g

1-year return-to-base warranty

359x255x36mm

2.9kg

OUR VERDICT

You wouldn't expect Zoostorm 4-6634 to be a cheap laptop, but given the wonderful selection of components and the trail-blazing performance, its £999 price tag sets the seal on what, clearly, is the best notebook we've seen yet. Just make sure you're close to a power point.